The Foreign Minister: Transition to the official language at national minority schools in Latvia will be implemented consistently

On 6 December 2018, during the 25th Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Milan, Italy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Lamberto Zannier, for a discussion about the current cooperation with the Commissioner.

Edgars Rinkēvičs spoke with appreciation about cooperation with the Commissioner’s Office ongoing intensively in various formats, and he invited the Commissioner to visit Latvia next spring. Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed concern about the critical situation of the Crimean Tatars and urged the Commissioner to use all instruments at his disposal to promote the rights of the Crimean Tatars.

The officials also discussed the education reform in Latvia. The Minister expressed his conviction that the recently adopted education reform, envisaging gradual transition to education in the official language at the national minority schools in Latvia would be implemented consistently, which is in line with international commitments. At the same time, the Minister reaffirmed that the education reform would offer equal opportunities to all school leavers in Latvia without any discrimination.